This invention relates to the improvement of a golfer's short game skills; and, more particularly to a practice aid for use by a golfer in improving their putting, chipping, pitching, and bunker play.
Today's golf game has, in many respects, become a power game. Better golfers, touring professionals and the like, typically hit their driver's 300 yards and further. On many golf holes, such prodigious length of the tee results in the golfer only having to hit a short iron onto a green, with the prospect of then having to make one or two putts for a birdie or an eagle.
Nonetheless, certain factors still come into play. Even the best golfers typically only hit onto 65-70% of the greens in regulation during a round of play. That's approximately 11-13 greens meaning that in order to par or birdie a hole, they still need to get up and down 5-7 times a round to shoot par or better for the round. Studies have also shown that during a round of golf, roughly ⅔rd's of the shots played by a golfer, at any level of skill, occur within 100 yards of the cup. This includes fairway shots, shots from the rough, bunker shots, shots from the fringe of the green, and putts. All of this is generally referred to as the “short game”. Accordingly, it is generally well accepted that the easiest way for a golfer to lower their scores is to improve their short game.
One of the basic tenets of the short game is the ability of a golfer to consistently hit their shots to within a 3′ circle about the golf cup. Studies have shown that from within the 3′ circle; i.e., a distance of 3′ or less from the ball to the center of the cup, golfers can consistently make 90% or more of their putts. From this range outwardly, the make percentage falls off dramatically. Therefore, regardless off the type of shot played; putt, chip, pitch, bunker shot, if the golfer can consistently have their ball finish within the 3′ circle, they should be able to consistently make the putt, thereby lowering their scores.
The present invention is a practice aid for use by golfers to improve their ability to make putts from 3′, as well as to improve their ability to hit longer shots to within the 3′ circle.